Rails to Achill - A West of Ireland Branch Line (LP 222)
The Achill line was a branch line built at the close of the 19th century to help develop the area and link it with the outside world. It proved to be a great social and economic asset to this part of County Mayo, but traffic never consistently reached the levels originally anticipated, the gradual development of road traffic in the 1930s sealed the fate of the rails to Achill, and the last train ran in the autumn of 1937. Since then, trains have operated from Dublin just as far as Westport, which is now the railhead for the area. Today, the remaining stone and earthworks, along with the old railway station buildings at Newport, Mulrany and Achill Sound stand in mute testimony to the line; the local businessmen who promoted it, the builders, and the people who used it. The course of the line is still very identifiable for most of its length, here and there, parts of it have a new use now. The viaduct in Newport is a beautifully restored prominent local landmark with a path along the top, giving the visitor a glimpse of the spectacular views that were possible from the train. Newport goods shed is now a small chapel, while Achill station has become a guesthouse.
Softback, 160 pages, black & white photographs, track diagrams, drawings etc
Condition: Very Good
ISBN: 9780853615880
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Updated: 2 January 2025